The phrase "Yeah, but it's a dry heat" does very little to give us sweltering humans any comfort. The oven is also a "dry heat" and it'll roast a pig, so just stop.

With the temperatures hovering around 90 F. for the rest of the week, energy companies are reminding customers to conserve as much power as they can, especially during the peak hours.

MidAmerican Energy said in a news release on Thursday (July 20) that they have sufficient generating capacity to handle extreme summer temperatures, plus a reserve margin. But let's use some common sense when trying to lower already soaring cooling bills.

Here's 5 tips to conserve power in the extreme heat waves:

  1. Wait Until Sundown: Limit clothes drying, baking and other heat-producing work with appliances to the morning hours or after 7:00 PM.
  2. Dial Up: Setting your thermostat a few degrees higher can make a big difference – reducing electrical usage 3 to 5 percent for each degree. A setting of 78 degrees will keep you comfortable when it is more than 90 degrees outside. If you are not at home during the day, close the house and turn off the air conditioner.
  3. Use Fans: Fans use less energy than air conditioners and can boost the comfort from an air conditioner, increasing its efficiency. Use ceiling and portable fans to better circulate cool air throughout your home. Reverse the normal direction of ceiling fans to pull cool air up from the floor. Ventilate your attic with a thermostatically controlled fan.
  4. Trim Foliage Outside: Keep your air conditioner unit clear of grass, weeds and shrubs. This will keep your air conditioner unit from working too hard.
  5. Block Sun: Close drapes, particularly those on west and south windows, to shut out direct sunlight.

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